Chalmont

The Chalmont (in German: Schalenberg or Karlsberg ) is a Montagne which is above the villages of Lièpvre and of Vancelle and on the left side behind this top is the village of Rombach-the-Franc.

Geography

Chalmont is at an altitude of 697 meters and seems to have belonged to the goods of the Prieuré of Lièpvre since the time of Charlemagne. Before the Middle Ages most of this mountain was called Charlemont. In the Vosgean dialect of the inhabitants of Lièpvre and Rombach-the-Franc this assembly line from which a brook called goes down " Chalmont" Chasnemont or Chânemont, become by corruption was called Châlement from where Chalmont. This brook is named in a charter of Charlemagne of 774, Aetsinisbach . The form " Aetsinis " seem to be a deformation of Germanic the Aetsinis , which could result in " brook of the chênes".

At the 17th century the inhabitants of Lièpvre were to pay every year 25 pounds in the chapter of Saint-Georges to have the right of common grazing land in Chalmont.

The mountain of Chalmont carries on its top a splendid natural view-point, a true seat or Stuhl makes enormous blocks of hard sandstone which one would say levelled with the hand of the man. Since this summon one discovers glance most of the valley of the Liepvrette, Lièpvre, Holy-Cross-with-Mines and Holy-Marie-with-Mines and the village of Rombach-the-Franc and with far the entry from the small valley of the Hingrie and on the other side of the river of the Liepvrette the imposing mass of the Taennchel. While going towards the part is mountain in direction top of Vancelle one discovers the plain of Alsace and a superb sight on the Château of Frankenbourg which goes up according to certain chroniclers at the time of Clovis or Clovis Ier.

History

It is thought that the top was covered during very a long time until in 1937 of oaks from where for a long time the name of Chânemont. In the charter of 774 written time of Charlemagne the mountain is called the Nannestol which one believes to discover the name of Stol coming from Stuhl , which would have been badly reproduced scripturairement by the former chroniclers. According to the Grandidier abbot to which joined the local historian, Jules Degermann, Nannestol would not have applied to a mountain, but to a locality of Rombach-the-Franc, which, on the Western slope of Chalmont is delimited by two small brooks, Grandegoutte and Nangigoutte called today Naugigoutte. Between Nangi and Nannen there would have been a certain toponymic relationship. Abbot L.G. Gloeckler in its work entitled " Saint-Déodat " report that the saint would have rested at the top of Chalmont before joining the Val of City to go to the monastery Novientium where it would have met Saint-Arbogast and Saint-Florent the apostle of the valley of the Bruche. The former bishop of Nevers would have thus traversed the valleys of the Giessen of the Liepvrette and the Weiss to try to convert the inhabitants of Gallo-Roman stock who populated the area then, before the arrival of the Alamans. Towards 1441, the common grazing land, called thus, because it was about the part stripped or cleared of Chalmont is rented at the community of Lièpvre for one 70 years period against a royalty of 38 grounds of Strasbourg.

Right of Glandée

In 1499 the right of Glandée is authorized for the peasants of Lièpvre for 9 years at a rate of 3 guilders of the the Rhine and in order to bring the pigs to it per annum. Towards the XVIIe century, the inhabitants of Lièpvre were to pay every year in the chapter of Nancy 25 pounds to have the right to the common grazing land in Chalmont, and 36 pounds at the community of Châtenois in the the Low-Rhine to be entitled same to Wanzel. One understood by glandée, panage or traverses, a right by which one could take along the pigs in the pastures and the forests. They nourished Gland S there, of Faine S, wild Prunelles etc. That represented for the peasant a subtantielle economy which made it possible to hold their grains at periods minus records. The Forêt of Chalmont was populated at a certain time of Chêne S and of Hêtre S. It then became the object of many litigations. glandée was then regulated by the ducal authorities. The right of glandée was authorized only during certainbes periods when the nipples and fines were in abundance. One required, with having the rights a certain number of conditions to be able to bring the Porc S in the forests. The right of glandée were honor until worms the year 1750 year when was introduced by Parmentier the Potato much cheaper. This right of glandée lost of its importance since the introduction end of the XVIIIe century of the Fourrage S, the Betterave and especially of potato.

Fauna

In 1907 two Loup S is announced close to Chalmont. A little later they are located in the solid mass of the Altenberg in the Val of City. However the last wolf officially was drawn in 1880 close to Hurst with Vancelle. But a little later one realizes thanks to tracking that it was about a wolfhound which was escaped residence of its Master and had elected residence close to the top of Chalmont.

How to go to Chalmont?

There exist several possibilities to arrive until the top of Chalmont. The simplest solution consists in going to Lièpvre, and from there take the road of Rombach-the-Franc, which passes in front of the church of the Assumption. Beside small residence HLM a marked out very sloping path of an orange rectangle is which carries out until the top. The distance until the top is of 2,8 km. Another passage consists in going until Rombach-the-Franc and to take the road until Vaurière and to thus continue until the " Small Haut". A path on the basis of this place assembles until the Top of Vancelle and carries out directly to the rock of Chalmont. It is certainly not the shortest way for the inhabitants of the Val of Lièpvre, but for the inhabitants of the Val of City it is the most direct access. For the inhabitants of Fouchy, one can go to the collar of the same name and to take the path which passes by Prérébois to the collar of Small High. Then it is necessary to take the very sloping path which carries out until the Top of Vancelle and from there go until Chalmont. Another path leaving since Vancelle makes it possible to the hikers another to join Chalmont by the western slope. This access leaves in against bottom the church Vancelle a length 3 km makes it possible to join the top. This path is more pleasant and the less sloping rise. This way recently was arranged by the Vosgean Club of Sélestat and mobilized some voluntary for work of prunings and earthwork.

The legends which circulate on Chalmont

A legend which circulated in the valley of the Liepvrette at the 17th century affirmed that Charlemagne had a strong castle on the peak of Chalmont, where it should have beaten a retreat in front of its enemies. It would be often rested there on this top and some still believe to see a print of the shoe of its horse in the rock.

According to another legend, the fairies would have thrown of only one range a bridge between the Rock of the Giants (Taennchel) and Chalmont. Another legend which circulated in the valley of Liepvrette to the Moyen-âge affirmed that one of the girls of Charlemagne would be buried with the foot of a rock of Chalmont and that its body would rest close to an immense treasure, that of the Francs. Chalmont would have been one of the places where Charlemagne liked to drive out in company of the abbot Fulrad and later his/her son Louis the Piles.

Another legend circulated after the Révolution with Rombach-the-Franc according to which the treasure of the Francs would be on the top of Chalmont, under the ground, with six steps towards the south, starting from large a Sapin. According to a grandmother of the Guy couple and his wife Philly, of which the house was behind the church Holy-Rosalie with Rombach-the-Franc, Chalmont contained an immense treasure, whose richness would make it possible to buy the whole of the dwellings of the valley of the Liepvrette and the Val of City. But the grandmother to specify, by pointing its sententious index: “misfortune with the person who would like to seize some! ”. A long time after the death of the grandmother, Guy and Philly decided to go to the hunting of this treasure. They are reflected on the way by a night of autumn by climbing the hard slope of Chalmont. While leading to the top of this mountain, they were taken of a presentiment strange and threatening. To entreat the bad fate, they had beforehand soaked their tools in the protective water of the Holy-Rosalie source. Also, thought they of escaping the bad fate which threatened them. They started to dig close to the large fir tree as their grandmother had indicated to them. They picked and shoveled with heat when suddenly they met a block of rock. They managed to move this rock when suddenly very crumbled, absorbing the two diggers for eternity. The owners of the farm located behind the church Holy-Rosalie not having reappeared more for a long time, one proceeded to the public sale their goods. The treasure of the Francs remains still fled in the mountain close to the large fir tree which disappeared today.

In the old Gaulle, on the Vosgean tops, the worship of Jupiter often appeared. One finds some traces of them on the surrounding tops and Chalmont undoubtedly does not have escaped there.

A high vibratory place

According to an old belief, Chalmont is famous as being a high vibratory place. It is enough to go on December 22nd and to sit down by ground, to profit from the benefits of the vibratory waves, because according to the tradition starting from December 23rd which coincided formerly with Holy Luce, the days grow of a jump of chip.

Notes and references

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